


(The Fallen Ones) Locked Away in Permanent Slumber

by armina_beta



Series: This Is Gospel [2]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: BAMF Darcy Lewis, BAMF Natasha Romanov, BAMF Tony Stark, Darcy Lewis Is a Good Bro, Howard Stark's A+ Parenting, Howard Stark's Bad Parenting, Hurt Natasha Romanov, Hurt Tony Stark, Italian Tony Stark, Natasha Romanov Is Not A Robot, Natasha Romanov Is a Good Bro, Protective Natasha Romanov, Protective Tony Stark, Tony Stark Has A Heart, Tony Stark Is a Good Bro, Tony Stark Needs a Hug
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-01
Updated: 2019-02-01
Packaged: 2019-10-20 14:36:36
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,449
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17624258
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/armina_beta/pseuds/armina_beta
Summary: Tony was different. Not a bad different, no, but still different. His mind was far above that of a four year olds and he knew that one of his parents hated him.“Yes, we’ll find something for you” Tony looked up out of chocolate eyes and through his slightly curly mocha hair at the grey man before pain exploded his head and the blackness engulfed him.A brand.He was now property of the institute.





	(The Fallen Ones) Locked Away in Permanent Slumber

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It is easier to forgive an enemy than it is to hate a friend - William Blake

Tony was different. Not a bad different, no, but still different. His mind was far above that of a four year olds and he knew that one of his parents hated him.

 

His mother, Maria, tried to care for him, he knew she did, but sometimes when they lay together in bed when ~~father~~ Howard was out, when she’d stare blankly, the eyes they shared focused on something only seen in her mind, he felt her slipping away. However she did teach him piano and when they sang old Italian songs he could almost forget the white child proof bottle in her bedside cabinet, the dark amber glass decanter that lay next to it and the powder she’d pat on her neck to cover the violent splotches when she’d go to charity functions with a smile as plastic as the bottle she’d shook two of the capsules out of that morning.

 His ~~father~~ Howard made sure however, that he was the subject of frequents sneers; hate filled glances, and drunken punches.

 Jarvis, meanwhile, was only his butler but he was the only person he could think of that truly cared about him (other than his mother). Every morning he would wake him and help him with work, to keep his genius level mind from overloading, the numbers swirling and pounding in his head as he cried for it to stop hurting. Then they would make dinner together and Tony would eat at the family table while Jarvis ate with the other servants.

 At night, Jarvis would tuck him in and then tell a story to ‘young master Anthony’.  Each night, Tony would ask Jarvis when he was going to leave and Jarvis would always say he would never. Tony knew better. Everyone left eventually, like the nannies and staff before him, and Howard didn’t like Jarvis because he was nice to the disappointment and soon, he would take Jarvis away.

 

So it came as no surprise when one morning he woke up to Jarvis shaking him, tears streaming down his face.

 “I am so so sorry Tony. Be strong my little soldier. I love you” Tony shook his head, smiling sadly. “I love you too Jarvis” The old butler nodded jerkily and left reluctantly. Tony watched his back down the hallway. This would be the last he saw of Jarvis for a very long time. 

 Tony sat there waiting and waiting and waiting. Slowly the sun rose and fell, the moon replacing it. He didn’t know how long he had waited, he hadn’t kept track of how many cycles he’d seen the sun make. All he knew was that he was hungry and tired and alone. He was always tired now, the lack of food gnawing at his insides kept him up at night and each time he got a glimpse of sleep he’d hear Howard and his eyes would snap open, body alert until the noises passed with him.

 

However how many days later the door unlocked and Howard walked in. He could smell the whiskey on his breath before a hand was heading for his face. There was no time to even try to help reduce the hit before he was suddenly in the hallway, tripping and stumbling in his black button up pjs. The grip on his upper arm was bruising and he tried to keep up until they came to a stop. When Tony got his bearings he registered a man in front of him.

 Charcoal hair was greying at the temples, slight wrinkles around his eyes and mouth not from laughter. Eyes that looked like they'd had their colour flushed away leaving a pale slush grey, and a scar. It was gruesome and travelled from the lobe of his left ear down his jaw line and coming to a stop just at the cleft of his chin.

 The man looked down at him thoughtfully.

“Yes, he’ll do” Tony watched as Howard nodded. “I have the money. Here he is. This can’t be traced back to me?”

 

The man shook his head, “No it cannot be traced back. The story is solid. He has been kidnapped and pronounced dead”

 His not father nodded, a cruel smile forming.

“I don’t know what you’d want it for but maybe you can find something for it to do. At least someone will get some use” He turned and walked away leaving Tony and the new man. He seemed to be talking to himself as he stared at him.

 

“Yes, we’ll find something for you” Tony looked up out of chocolate eyes and through his slightly curly mocha hair at the grey man before pain exploded his head and the blackness engulfed him.

* * *

When he came to, he was immediately drawn to the pain in his arms, specifically his wrists, and his neck. He lifted his head from the awkward drooping position it was currently in to look up at where is wrists were handcuffed causing his arms to be pulled up and above his head.

He looked around the rest of the plane, pins and needles scratching in his neck as he did so.  

“The boy’s awake, Dr Ivanov” A burly man snarled at the older man with the scar. He scowled at Tony and walked over to the other aisle and sat watching.

“Good!” The older man smiled happily. He stood and walked down the plane, sitting in the seat opposite Tony. He judged him, eyes raking over his face in search and he must've seen something because he leant back and steepled his fingers.

“I am Dr Ivanov and I am in charge of escorting you to the institute where you will be put through a series of tests to determine the program you are entered in. You are to forget your old name; your new name is AES04. Understand?”

  ~~Tony~~ AES04 nodded and Ivanov's face twisted, his arm swinging up and slapping him across the face. 

“You will answer verbally!” 

“Yes sir” Dr Ivanov nodded satisfied and rose again, making his way into the cockpit.

 

Howard had always told him not to talk and if he cried out or said one word to him he was beaten worse, however here was Dr Ivanov saying he had to talk or he’d get hurt. It didnt make sense. Surely silence was more appropriate than verbal confirmation?

He would adapt though, he always did.

* * *

Dr Ivanov steered him into the mansion turned school with an iron grip on his forearm. Once inside, he pulled him into an exam room before leaving him alone. Alone was okay, Alone was safe.

AES looked around, desperately searching for any clue to what was going on.

Nothing.

He slumped in his chair, his shackled wrists jingling as he twisted them in an effort to release some pressure. Sighing, he stared out of the window at the big expanse of garden. He could see a small annex with what looked like security men coming and going. The door swung open and head immediately snapped to attention. A slight waft of something cooking and his stomach roared in agreement. They took him to another room where he ate until his shrunken stomach couldn’t take anymore and then was dragged once more to his exam room.  

 

The door swung open to reveal an old man that promptly started manhandling him into different positions to measure his arms, his legs, his head. The measure flitted around and different needles jabbed into his arms along with machines he didn’t know what were for. After a long time of being prodded the man let up and allowed AES04 to sit up. The man took a seat at the desk that held a single computer, currently open on a file containing his information.

 “I am Dr Cherenkov and I will be your examiner for the duration of your training.” Dr Cherenkov was old, with silver grey hair and thin lips. He had wiry glasses with cold blue eyes behind. There was a nasty scar running down his nose from his left eyebrow and ending halfway down his right cheek just above a small grey beard.  

 

“This is your designation” Dr pulled a machine from the side and quickly injected him with something from another needle.

“A mild pain relief” The doctor supplied before the machine was clamping down around his right arm and small shocks started running through his muscles making his shoulder twitch uneasily. When the machine released his arm he pulled it back and looked down at the skin just below the inside of his elbow.

 

AES04

There was a pair of red wings under the black moniker. A brand.

 

He was now property of the institute.

 


End file.
